Bracket for suspending pendant articles



May 9, 1961 A. WALLER ET AL 2,983,473

BRACKET FOR SUSPENDING PENDANT ARTICLES Filed July 25, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Ar'l'hur- WaHer BY OTl'o lgnseeJr.

May 9, 1961 A. WALLER ET AL 2,983,473

BRACKET FOR SUSPENDING PENDANT ARTICLES Filed July 25, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Arthur Wal Ier E BY O'Ho Isen5ee,Jr.

9; Atravneus BRACKET FOR SUSPENDI NG PENDANT ARTICLES Arthur Waller, Highland Park, and Otto Isensee, In, Glenview, 111., assignors to Bull Dog Lock Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois I Filed July 25, 1957, Ser. No. 674,162 2 Claims. (Cl. 248-31) This invention relates to a bracket for hanging pictures, mirrors, cabinets and the like structures from a wall.

To the present, various means have been employed for hanging articles of the type described on walls. For the most part, these have required accurate calculations properly to pre-position the supporitng elements attached to the wall for operative engagement with elements secured to the back side of the article to be suspended. Miscalculations have required replacement of one or more of the elements until the desired relationship between the elements has been established. This trial and error method not only consumes considerable time and effort but it results in numerous openings for attachment to the wall and the removal of fastening means with the result that the wall becomes marred and often defaced to the extent that repair is required. Thus attachment is more often left to professional hangers and even then trial and error are required for proper balance of the article suspended from the wall.

The foregoing prevails whether attachment is effected directly by screwing the picture, mirror or the like to the wall, or by hanging the unit from wires attached to the back side of the article for engagement with a hook or hooks on the wall.

An object of this invention is to provide a device for suspending such articles adapted fixedly to be attached either to the supporting surface or to the article, but capable of adjustment to achieve a connection with the article or the surface at a plurality of alternative points.

Another object is to produce a piece of hardware of the type described which is flexible in use for automatic adjustment properly to position the suspended article on the wall; which is capable of manual adjustments while in the suspended relation to change the effective positions of the hook engaging means without the necessity to remove the assembled elements from the article to be suspended or from the wall; which permits automatic self-adjustment angularly in the plane of the wall and in a plane perpendicular to the wall for self-alignment of the suspending means between the Wall and the article to be suspended; which is capable of swiveling movement through an entire circle to enable the bracket to be located in advance in the corner portions of an article independently of the direction of the suspension from the wall thereby to enable one bracket to perform the services of at least two without replacement or readjustment, and which is formed of a few simple parts that areeasily assembled into a compact unit capable of home or professional use.

These and other objectsand advantages of this invention will hereinafter appear and for purposes of illustration, but not of limitation, embodiments of this invention are shown in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure l is a rear elevational view of an article to be suspended from a wall showing devices embodying features of this invention in position of use;

ICC

Figure 2 is a side view in elevation of a device embodying the features of this invention in position of use;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary rear view of a corner portion of the structure shown in Figure 1 and illustrating the mounting bracket in alternate positions of use;

Figure 4 is a sectional view with portions cut away to show the relationship between the parts;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of the device from the back side thereof;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the separated elements in their respective relation for assembly;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary elevational view similar tothat of Figure 5 showing a modification in the bracket structure, and

Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional elevational view showing a further modification in the bracket structure.

In the preferred practice of this invention, use is made of a base plate 10 in the form of a flat metal plate having means for attachment to the back side 12 of an article 14 to be suspended from a wall 16. Conventional means for attachment may include the use of rivets, adhesives or the like or openings 18 may be provided in the corner portions of the base plate for the use of screws 20 to secure the base plate to the back side 12 of an article 14.

The base plate is formed with a central opening 22 with the portions adjacent the opening being raised to provide an anular recess 24 having a depth preferably slightly greater than the thickness of the metal in the plate.

A swivel member 26 is adapted rotatably to be mounted on the plate with a portion extending outwardly through the opening beyond the front face of the plate. The swivel member is illustrated as a metal strip having a central portion 28 formed to U-shape and dimensioned to pass through the opening 22 and with arms 30 and 32 extending outwardly substantially perpendicularly from the ends of the U-shaped central portion. The arms 30 and 32 are dimensioned to extend outwardly inthe direction away from each other in substantially the same planeto provide a spaced relation between the ends which is greater than the diameter of the opening 22 but less than the diameter of the groove 24 for receiving the arms within the annular groove in a manner to enable relative turning movement without excessive play in the axial direction when the back side of the plate is secured firmly to the back side of the article to be suspended. lnstead of forming the swivel member in the manner described, the swivel member may comprise a rigid element of other shape having a central portion which is displaced outwardly in the manner of the U-shaped member 28 to extend through the opening beyond the front face of the plate when the flanged portion is rotatably received within the annular recess.

The through extending portion of the swivel member is provided with an elongated cross slot 34 which extends about the end portion for a short distance down the legs 36 and 38 respectively. In the assembled relation, the swivel member is capable of being freely turned rotatively relative to the base plate. 7

Cooperating with the swivel member 26 is a hanger rod 40 having a shank portion 42 which is threaded substantially throughout its length and which is dimensioned to have a diameter less than the width of the slot 34. A head 44, provided on the end of the rod 40,

from the end of the hanger rod and dimensioned to have a thickness less than the spaced relationship between the spaced legs 36 and 33 of the U-shaped member and an end to end dimension which corresponds to the width of the metal strip to enable the head pivotally to be received in the end portion of the U-shaped member which extends through the opening 22 to beyond the front side of the base plate.

Mounted on the hanger rod for endwise adjustment is a hanger clip 48 in the form of a metal strip having an opening 50 in the upper end portion for engagement on a hook 52 fixed as by means of a nail 54 to the wall 16. The other end of the metal strip is formed with a pair of vertically spaced, horizontally disposed upper and lower shelves 556 and 58 respectively, joined one to the other at their far end by a vertical wall 60. The end structure is formed in the strip by bending an intermediate portion to extend perpendicularly horizontally from the body portion of the hanger clip to provide the upper shelf 56 and then perpendicularly downwardly a short distance to provide the vertical connecting wall 60 and then the remainder is bent back in parallel spaced relation with the upper shelf to provide the lower shelf 58. The shelves are each provided with a central opening 62 and 64 in registry one with the other for the passage of the shank portion 42 of the hanger rod 40 continuously therethrough. The shelves are spaced one from the other by a distance suflicient to enable a nut member 66 to be received between the shelves with the threaded bore in alignment with the openings for threaded engagement with the threaded portion of the hanger rod extending therethrough.

The nut member 66 may comprise a disc member having its outer periphery knurled, as at 68, to enable the nut manually to be turned between the shelves, as illustrated in Figures 16. Instead, the nut member can be of rectangular or polygonal shape, as illustrated in Figure 8. When in the form of a disc member, it is desirable to make use of a nut member having a radius which is greater than the distance of the openings 62 and 64 from the back side of the shelves 56 and 58 so that portions of the knurled nut will extend beyond the shelves to provide ready access for turning movement. Under such conditions, an opening 70 should be provided in the upright connecting wall 60 to actuate the nut portion when extending therethrough. It will be apparent that with the nut member being retained between the shelves, turning movement of the nut in one direction or the other will cause the hanger rod to be displaced endwise in one direction or the other relative the hanger clip to adjust the hanger clip endwise on the rod. When use is made of a nut 66 of rectangular or other polygonal shape which is incapable of relative turning movement between the shelves, endwise adjustment of the hanger clip relative the rod can be effected by relative turning movement of the clip in one direction or the other. After assembly, the end of the hanger rod can be upset, as at 72, to avoid inadvertent disengagement of the clip from the rod during adjustment.

In assembly, the swivel plate 26 can be inserted from the back side to displace the U-shaped end portion 28 endwise through the opening 22 of the base plate. The free end of the hanger rod can be threaded through the slot 34 to bring the head 44 against the underside of the through extending portion of the U-shaped member and with the arms 3%} and 32 of the U-shaped member received within the annular groove in bearing relation the base plate can be secured in the desired position in a corner of the article to be suspended. The threaded end of the hanger rod can be inserted through the aligned openings 62 and 64 with the nut in between to thread the clip onto the hanger rod. The through extending portion of the hanger rod is thereafter upset, as previously described.

In the assembled relation, the rod is capable of swiveling action with the swivel plate and it is also capable of rocking movement relative to the swivel plate to provide compound movements in all directions. The clip 48 can be adjusted endwise on the hanger rod concurrently to enable endwise adjustment thereby to provide flexibility in movements which enables the hook clip to seek its own position in response to the acceptance of load automatically to adjust itself angularly and radially between the wall book 52 and the base plate. In the event that a change in level is desired, adjustment can be achieved by turning movement of the nut 66 without removal of the assembly.

It will be apparent that the hook clip and hanger rod are capable of swiveling action through an angle of 360 degrees so that a bracket of the type described which is mounted in the corner portion of the article to be suspended; as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, can be used as a corner bracket whether the article is suspended with one end or any side uppermost.

In the modification shown in Figures 4 and 7, the base plate 16* can be secured in a position of use on the back side of the article in advance of the other elements of the bracket. For this purpose, the base plate is formed with a slot 80 extending upwardly from the lower edge of the base plate to the opening 22, with the slot having a width corresponding to the width of the U-shaped portion of the swivel member 26. The portions of the base plate 10 adjacent the slot are raised by an amount corresponding to the offset forming the groove 24 to provide guide rails 82 and 84 having a recessed portion therebeneath and dimensioned to have a width from one side to the other corresponding to the distance between the ends of the arms 30 and '32 of the swivel member 26. Thus the swivel member may be positioned in alignment with the slot 80 to enable the U-shaped portion 26 to be displaced linearly through the slot while the legs 30 and 32 travel upwardly beneath the guide rails 82 and 84 until the swivel member 26 enters the opening 22 previously described in the base plate. The vertical upward pull on the swivel when in use operates to hold the swivel member within the annular recess of the base plate as described.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that means are provided for attachment to the back side of an article to be suspended which enables permanent attachment to be effected in the first instance while providing angular and linear adjustments subsequent to assembly properly to relate the suspension bracket to the hook previously secured to a Wall for suspension of the article. When a swivel member of the type described enabling rotational as well as angular adjustment is provided, a single bracket may be adapted for use in suspension of the article in a vertical position or in a horizontal position interchangeably. It will be apparent further that the device described is capable of finding its own position between the article to be suspended and the wall thereby to minimize the development of strains both in the suspension bracket and in the article being suspended. I

It will be obvious that the various elements making up the suspension bracket can easily be manufactured of simple and readily available parts to provide a low cost construction which is capable of easy use and assembly. The device may be manufactured and sold in its separated relation and itmay be subdivided into separate parts or it may be installed on various articles and sold with the articles to be hung.

, It will be understood that changes may be made in the details of construction, arrangement and operation without departing from the spirit of the invention, especially as defined in the following claims.

We claim:

1. An adjustable device for suspending articles from Wall surfaces comprising a substantially plane plate member having a circular shoulder portion intermediate its edges, said shoulder portion defining a circular aperture; and a hinging element comprising a U-shaped channel outer edges of said flange portions being substantially I equal to the diameter of said shoulder portion, said flange portions being disposed in abutting and rotating relationship to said plate member, said U-shaped channel extending through said aperture, a tongue member having an apertured portion adapted to engage the surface from which suspension is desired, an elongated hanger member extending through said slot terminating at one extremity in a pair of outwardly extending arms perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said hanger member, said outwardly extending arms pivotally seated within the U- shaped channel portion of said hinging member and having a thickness less than the width of said channel portion, said tongue member having at its extremity opposite that hearing the apertured portion thereof a fluted portion, said elongated hanger member extending transversely through said fluted portion, and a nut of a thickness less than the width of the fluted portion carried upon said hanger member within the said fluted portion of said tongue member in operative engagement with the portion of the hanger member extending through said fluted portion for adjustment between said hanger member and said tongue, said tongue member being adapted to efiect connection at a plurality of points of connection with the surface from which suspension is desired by virtue of the rotating relationship between said plate and said hinging element, the pivotal relationship between said arms of said hanger member and said U-shaped channel portion of said hinging element, and the adjustable relationship between said hanger member and said tongue member.

2. A device for suspending pendant articles comprising a base plate member having an elongated upraised portion on one face thereof and extending inwardly from one of the margins thereof, said upraised portion having a 6 slot open at said margin and extending substantially the length of said upraised portion and terminating at its extremity opposite said margin in a circular offset portion,

said upraised portion defining a pair of parallel guide rails, a swivel member extending in one of its portions through said circular offset portion and provided with flange portions having a dimension between their outer extremities substantially equal to the dimension between the walls of said parallel guide rails and the circumference of said offset portion, and having also a U-shaped channel portion provided with a central relieved portion, a hanger member, and a clip member, said hanger member being threaded throughout a substantial proportion of its length, extending through said central relieved portion of said U-shaped channel, and terminating in arm portions projecting outwardly in a plane substantially perpendicular to the hanger itself, said arm portions seated within said U-shaped channel portion in a pivotal relationship thereto, said clip member carrying at one extremity integrally connected flange portions, said flange portions having axial aligned apertures in which said threaded portion of said hanger member is received.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 521,291 Lynch June 12, 1894 566,352 Strohback Aug. 25, 1896 1,053,113 Seaberg Feb. 11, 1913 1,401,073 Hall Dec. 20, 1921 1,904,088 Schutz Apr. 18, 1933 1,959,745 Stout May 22, 1934 2,452,301 Hester Oct. 26, 1948 2,490,972 Lear Dec. 13, 1949 2,697,572 Pfankuch Dec. 21, 1954 2,779,479 Cohen Jan. 29, 1957 

